[1][2] Beltingham River Shingle refers to a section of the River South Tyne comprising a coarse-grained shingle island and southern riverbank covering an area of 4.4 hectares (11 acres) situated in the south-west of Northumberland some 0.25 miles (0.40 km) north-west of the village of Beltingham and 0.5 miles (0.80 km) south-east of Bardon Mill.

The site lies at 80 metres (260 ft) above sea level on a river which drains a watershed including parts of the Northern Pennine Orefield.

[1][2] The vegetation of the Beltingham River Shingle is a sparse mix of spring sandwort (Minuartia verna), alpine pennycress (Noccaea caerulescens), mountain pansy (Viola lutea), thrift (Armeria maritima), common scurvy grass (Cochlearia officinalis) and sea campion (Silene maritima), with meadow oat-grass (Avenula pratensis), wild thyme (Thymus praecox), biting stonecrop (Sedum acre) and harebell (Campanula rotundifolia).

The river margin is marked by himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), lesser burdock (Arctium minus) and monkey flower (Mimulus guttatus).

[2] The narrow-lipped helleborine (Epipactis leptochila), more common on the chalk downs of southern England, is found in this and other the metalliferous shingle sites in the county.